One man killed, another man taken into custody after Clifton fire in house containing live grenades

Google MapsA fire that broke out in a home on Rutherford Boulevard in Clifton left one dead. Another man who was pulled out of the home has been taken into custody.

CLIFTON — One man died after firefighters battled a blaze at a Clifton home this morning, an effort that was complicated when officials learned the dwelling contained two live grenades.

Clifton City Manager Matthew Watkins said the fire broke out on the first floor of the Rutherford Boulevard home shortly before 6 a.m. and quickly escalated to two alarms before firefighters could extinguish it.

Watkins said a 48-year-old man was pulled from the building, but pronounced dead at the scene.

Another man, Paul Nesterok, 45, was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

Emergency officials at the scene were alerted that there were two pineapple-style grenades in the home as they were battling the fire.

"It has been determined by bomb squad investigators that both grenades contained live detonators," Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik said in a statement.

"This was a potentially dangerous scene, and I commend all first responders and investigators for their actions."

The dead man’s identity was not released because authorities are still trying to reach his family, according to Clifton Police Sgt. Robert Bracken, who said the name might be made public on Sunday.

Neighbors who witnessed the incident said police officers handcuffed a longtime occupant of the two-story home on Rutherford Boulevard soon after they arrived about 6:15 a.m.

One woman, who declined to give her name, told the Record that she saw her neighbor standing on the sidewalk shirtless, watching the fire spread, before firefighters arrived.

"Why is there smoke coming out of my house?" she recalled him asking.

Flames were seen shooting through windows on the bottom floor, while smoke billowed from the windows on the level above.

The fire is believed to have started in the living room, Watkins said.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation, Berdnik said.

Two firefighters also received medical treatment for minor injuries, but their injuries are not considered serious, Watkins said.
The Record contributed to this report.